


(Let That Dark Water) Take Me Home

by afterthenovels



Series: A Sea of Tidal Waves [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One-Shot, merman!Blaine, sailor!kurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 06:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2056941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterthenovels/pseuds/afterthenovels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Kurt is a sailor, drifting in the middle of the ocean after the ship he was working on burned down. He hasn't seen any signs of life in days, but somehow there's a dark-haired boy leaning against his lifeboat and asking if he can keep him company.</p><p>Sailor!Kurt and merman!Blaine, inspired by <a href="http://charminglyantiquated.tumblr.com/post/92698552078/a-little-love-story-about-mermaids-and-tattoos">this gorgeous art</a> but with a little twist in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Let That Dark Water) Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** Mentions of shipwrecks, risky seafaring, and anything related to that.
> 
> The title is from _Where We Went Wrong_ by The Hush Sound (which has some amazing sailing imagery and therefore seemed fitting).

Kurt really wishes the weather was at least a bit cloudier. Or that it would rain, even a little.

He has been drifting for a few days already, after a barrel of gunpowder caught fire on the ship he was working on and he was the only one who managed to get away from the flames and explosions. At least he thinks he's the only one -- he saw some of the other lifeboats shatter to pieces during the first explosion, and a few of his fellow sailors sank beneath the waves as he was trying to get to them on his own boat. He didn't particularly like the people he was working with on this ship, but they were still his co-workers, still people, and now they're...

Let's just say that the things he saw between the gunpowder catching fire and his own narrow escape are not something he likes to think about too often.

He hasn't seen anyone, alive or dead, since his boat drifted away from the wreckage. The sea is vast and empty all around him, and the only living thing he has seen in days was a lone seagull that was floating above his boat during the second sunrise he witnessed on this boat. The sun keeps shining on his face all day long, his skin burning and turning lobster red (damn his complexion), until it's finally dusk and the weather suddenly gets achingly cold, the darkness around him making him see and hear things he's not even sure are real.

Kurt doesn't know how long he can take this anymore. His throat is already parched with dryness, and he hasn't eaten since his last breakfast on the ship. He tried drinking the ocean water once, even if he knew it was probably a bad idea, and it just made everything worse, the salt tasting dry and bitter on his tongue.

He keeps thinking about how his dad will react when he finds out that the ship Kurt was traveling on has disappeared. He thinks about everything their little family has already gone through and feels his tired heart breaking inside his chest. Burt has always supported him, even when he told him he wanted to see new places and become a sailor instead of following in Burt's footsteps as a repairman. 

God, he really didn't want to inflict anything like this on his dad. But the odds don't seem to be in his favor.

It's his third day drifting, and Kurt lies on the floor of his small boat, not having enough energy to sit up anymore, and stares at the bright sky above him, breathing slowly. He feels weak and tired, so he closes his eyes, still seeing the red imprint of the harsh sunshine behind his eyelids. The waves splash against the boat, and he thinks, _this is it. I never thought this would be it, but I guess it is._

He feels his breathing slowing even further, dark waves lapping around the edges of his consciousness, his muscles letting go--

"Hey! Are you still alive?"

Kurt startles at the voice, blinking his eyes open. When he turns his head he sees a dark-haired boy leaning against the side of his boat, resting his head on his bare arms. The boy seems to be shirtless under the scorching sun, but his skin is pale, almost bluish, and his eyes are an unusual color -- like the honey Kurt puts in his tea, or the syrup his mother used to pour over fresh fruits for breakfast.

As Kurt stares the boy's lips turn into a slow smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"You _are_ alive," he says, grinning at Kurt, something splashing behind him. His voice sounds soothing, like pleasantly warm waves brushing over smooth rocks. "I was worried you were dead," the boy goes on, "what with you lying there and not moving at all. Have you remembered to eat your fish? It's unhealthy to forget it, you know."

Kurt blinks. He's in the middle of the ocean -- there's no way there's anyone here but him. "I must be hallucinating," he says quietly, his voice scratchy from disuse. "I guess this is what happens right before you lose your consciousness. Or maybe I'm dreaming already..."

Of course he would hallucinate about gorgeous, shirtless men right before he dies. He leans back against the bottom of the boat and lets his eyes flutter shut again, but almost immediately there's a cold finger poking him in the ribs and he yelps, sitting up in surprise. The boy is still there, his finger hovering over Kurt's body.

"I don't think you should sleep right now," the boy says, looking worried. "Can I... keep you company? My brother left a few months ago, and I've been alone since then."

"What on--" Kurt backs away, suddenly terrified, but the boy is already pulling himself into the boat, his strong arms flexing with the movement and water dripping in thin rivulets from his body.

Body that ends in a long, dark green tail, not in a pair of legs.

The tail thumps against the boat's floor, making the whole thing shake, and Kurt backs even further away. He can't take his eyes off the boy's tail -- its vibrant color, the scales that cover it and seem to breathe with the boy's every movement, the way it shifts and slides over the boat's wooden surface -- but it can't be. Kurt knows all the fairytales and stories about merpeople, remembers reading them when he was little, and sometimes when he's working on a ship and has a quiet moment he still looks out on to the sea and wonders what's going on beneath its surface.

But mermaids and mermen don't exist. They're just fairytales.

There's another hesitant poke from a cool finger, this time against his arm, and Kurt quickly lifts his gaze. The boy is still there, staring at him, but he looks a little contemplative now.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know," the boy says carefully, pulling his hand back and resting it in his lap, the bluish shade of his skin clear against the greenness of his tail. "We're not seirens or anything, so you don't need to worry. I... I just wanted someone to talk to, and you were here all alone." He extends his other hand towards Kurt, giving a small smile. "My name's Blaine."

"Kurt," Kurt answers automatically. Blaine's hand stays still, waiting, and Kurt reaches out tentatively to shake it. The skin feels cool and wet against his own, like tangible ocean water. "Are you... Are you really a merman?" he can't help but ask.

Blaine laughs, crossing his arms over his bare chest. His laughter sounds pleasant in Kurt's ears, rich and musical. He doesn't seem to have any body hair save from the curls on top of his head, the almost triangle-shaped eyebrows and the incredibly long eyelashes framing his eyes, and Kurt has the sudden ridiculous urge to slide his fingers over his skin, to find out if it feels as cool as the hand he just shook.

"Of course," Blaine answers, winking at Kurt. "It would be an insult to call me a fish."

"But you... You speak my language," Kurt tries, letting his shoulders relax.

"We listen and learn," Blaine says, scratching at one of the scales of his tail like it's itching. "There are many areas where my people do business with yours."

Kurt lets out a disbelieving laugh. "And here I was thinking you were just a myth."

Blaine smiles back at him, but then suddenly his eyes widen. "Oh, you must be thirsty! My brother told me once that you landpeople need drinking water more often than we do!"

He turns around abruptly, pushing his hands under water, tail sliding over the boat's floor and brushing against Kurt's bare feet. It feels surprisingly smooth, a little warmer than Blaine's skin, and Kurt is careful not to step on it when he moves closer to Blaine.

"Leave it, Blaine," he says, even if the thought of drinking makes his throat throb. "The sea water is too salty for me."

Blaine lifts his hands, carefully cupping some water in them. "I can get the salt out of it," he counters with a wide smile, slowly turning around to face Kurt again. "Our skin absorbs salt from water -- it's our most important mineral. That's why we live in oceans and not in those smaller waters you have, even if our bodies are extremely adaptable." He extends his arms towards Kurt. "Here, try it."

Kurt frowns but puts his own cupped hands beneath Blaine's, letting him carefully pour the water into them. He leans down to sip it and-- it doesn't taste salty. It tastes fresh, colder than before, and it actually seems to soothe his throat as it goes down.

His head snaps up to stare at Blaine. "How did you--"

Blaine just laughs, clapping his hands together like helping Kurt has made him infinitely happy. "Keep your hands like that, I'll get you some more!"

Blaine gives him enough water to make him a feel a little more human again, the water tasting blissfully delicious after the long, hot days he's had. By the time he's had enough he leans back against the boat, breathing out slowly and closing his eyes in happiness. It's weird how a little bit of water can make him this content.

But perhaps it's not just the water. The space in the boat is cramped and Blaine's tail is resting over Kurt's legs by now, but he feels weirdly comfortable in this tiny boat with this merman he has only known for a short while. They chatted while Blaine was getting Kurt water, and he can already tell that Blaine is much better company than the men he worked with on the ship.

Kurt doesn't usually trust strangers, and he would've never thought he would trust a merman, but he feels... comfortable with Blaine. Blaine, who has a comforting smile that graces his face almost all the time, his lips turning up so easily, his eyes so honest and curious.

When Kurt opens his own eyes again to ask how Blaine found him drifting out here, he sees Blaine trying to flatten his curly hair in vain, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I can help--" Kurt starts immediately, wanting to return the favor in some way, but before he can finish his sentence Blaine's eyes have widened again. He's staring at the small tattoo on Kurt's forearm, interest shining in his eyes.

"What's that?" Blaine asks, squirming closer and reaching out to run his cool fingers over the design. The movement is cautious and careful, but it still makes Kurt's heart flutter. "Did someone draw on your arm?"

Kurt smiles, looking down at the tattoo. "Kind of," he answers. "Do you know what a tattoo is?" Blaine lifts his eyes, looking confused. "It's this permanent drawing you get on your skin," Kurt explains, hesitantly taking Blaine's hand and guiding it over the lines of his tattoo. Blaine doesn't pull away and just follows Kurt's movements in fascination, his eyes big and round. "Like a reminder of something that happened to you, or of something you believe in. Something that's so important to you that you want to have it with you wherever you go."

Blaine nods thoughtfully. "It's a bird, right?" he asks, his finger drawing the curve of the tattoo bird's wings on Kurt's skin. "What does it mean? To you?"

Kurt swallows, keeping his eyes on the tattoo. "It's for my mom," he says quietly. Blaine stills next to him, and he can feel the weight of his gaze on his face, but he doesn't look up. "She died when I was very young," he continues, "but she used to sing this song to me whenever I had a bad dream or someone said something mean to me. It was about a blackbird -- this small bird with dark feathers -- finally learning to fly, and it... It always cheered me up."

Blaine stays quiet for a moment, his hand still over the tattoo until he slowly moves to wrap his fingers around Kurt's, squeezing them. Kurt lifts his head, and Blaine is even closer to him than he remembered, his tail curled around Kurt's ankles and his elbow resting on Kurt's thigh as he looks up at him. For a boy with a tail and bluish skin Blaine looks incredibly human. He looks like home, here in the middle of the ocean, and Kurt can feel his heart skip a beat in his chest.

"Tell me about her?" Blaine asks, resting his chin in his hand.

Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand in return and keeps talking.

They talk about everything and anything, about their lives and the places they've seen, humming their favorite songs to each other until Kurt feels like he knows more about the music of Blaine's people than anyone else living on dry land. The sun sinks lower and lower in the western sky, a few faint stars already visible above the ocean, and Kurt can't even remember how he was sure he was going to die only a few hours ago.

Blaine keeps drawing pictures on Kurt's bare arms, as if he's trying to make tattoos of his own. "It's getting dark soon," he mumbles, tail twitching slowly next to Kurt's legs.

"Do you have to get back?" Kurt asks, suddenly terrified of the idea of being left alone, of not seeing Blaine.

"No, it's alright." Blaine shifts away from Kurt, turning to lie on his back next to him on the boat's floor, their shoulders touching. "They're not going to miss me. Cooper, my brother, he would, but he moved to a different area."

Kurt turns his head and watches Blaine's profile in the dim sunlight. "Surely you have other family? Or friends?" he says, nudging Blaine's shoulder. He thinks about his dad, about Carole and Finn, about the girls like Rachel or Mercedes he grew up with and has always considered his best friends.

"My parents are really busy," Blaine replies, scratching his scales in a way that Kurt's starting to think is a nervous tell. "They're one of those who trade with your people. They travel a lot, so they leave me to my own devices."

"What about the other mermen or mermaids around your own age?" Kurt knows Blaine is approximately the same age as him; apparently merpeople age in a similar way to landpeople, at least according to Blaine, even if they have a slightly different concept of time.

Blaine frowns, not meeting Kurt's eyes. "They... They blame me for being interested in landpeople. Too interested, I mean." He picks at one of his scales, the dark green color looking almost black in the low lighting. "I like to study your customs and compare them with ours, watch how you work on your ships and near the coast -- that's why I know your language so well -- but the others think it's..." He trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

Kurt swallows. "Most people around my age think I'm strange as well," he admits. Blaine turns to look at him, confusion evident on his face. "They think my voice is too high, or that I care too much about the clothes I wear, or that I'm... too delicate to work on a ship."

"Don't listen to them," Blaine says quietly. He bumps their shoulders together. "You're strong, Kurt. You've been drifting out here for days and you're still alive."

"Thanks," Kurt smiles, turning to look at the last rays of sunshine above them. "And you shouldn't listen to them either," he adds. "Because if you weren't interested in landpeople, you wouldn't be here right now, keeping me company. Would you?"

Blaine hums. "This _is_ nice," he admits and leans closer to Kurt. "Although your stomach keeps making weird noises," he points out, scrunching his nose in amusement.

"Oh." Kurt laughs. "That's just because I'm hungry, that's all." He had completely forgotten the needs of his body.

"Hungry?" Blaine repeats, suddenly pushing himself up from the floor, his eyes wide in alarm. "Oh no, you're hungry! Kurt, you should've said something earlier!"

He drags himself to the side, and Kurt follows him, confused by the sudden burst of energy. "Blaine? Where are you going?" he asks.

"I'm going to get you some food," Blaine answers, like it's the most obvious thing. "You wait here, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Blaine!" Kurt calls, reaching out towards him. "It's getting dark, I can manage for a--"

Before he can finish his sentence, Blaine has already pulled himself over the edge and disappeared beneath the water's surface with a loud splash, the boat teetering with the sudden change in weight. Kurt rushes after him, leaning over the edge and staring into the dark water.

"Blaine?" he calls out again, worried and even a little scared. Blaine's a merman, of course he can travel under water -- but what if it's too dark for him? What if Kurt's boat drifts too far away and they can't find each other again? The sea is eerily quiet around him now that Blaine's not here, and Kurt desperately reaches his hand into the water, hoping to do... What? Pull Blaine back into the boat with just one hand?

A finger pokes at his hand, and then Blaine's head pops up from the water next to the boat, his smile instantly calming Kurt's heartbeat.

"Don't worry," Blaine reassures him, slapping at Kurt's hand until he pulls it away from the water. "I'll be fine. I'll get you some food."

Then he sinks back under the surface, and Kurt is alone.

Kurt tries not to worry, but the time Blaine is gone seems even longer when he doesn't have a pocket watch to track it with. The waves rock his boat all through the night, the stars brigtening and then dimming again as the dusk turns into night and then dawn again -- a night out in the ocean in this area never lasts that long anyway -- and Kurt keeps listening for any and all sounds, for any sign of Blaine coming back.

He tries not to think about whether or not there are any sharks in this area. Besides, sharks don't eat merpeople. Right?

The sun is already rising over the horizon and Kurt has convinced himself that he's never going to see Blaine again, when suddenly a bigger wave tilts his boat. Kurt grabs the edges in panic, trying to stay still and not think of sharks. There's another splash, and then a fish flies into the boat in a wide arch, landing on the bottom with a thud.

Kurt blinks.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Blaine's voice calls out from the water. He throws another fish into the boat, as well as some aquatic plants, and then pulls himself over the edge, grinning at Kurt without a care in the world. "I wanted to get you some edible greens as well, and then it took me a while to figure out my bearings but--"

Kurt launches himself over the boat and wraps his arms around Blaine's wet shoulders, burying his face in the curve of his neck. Blaine stumbles backwards from the force of it, the boat swaying dangerously underneath them.

"Kurt?" Blaine says in surprise once the boat has calmed, tentatively wrapping his own arms around Kurt as well, his tail curving next to Kurt's legs. "Are you okay?"

"You came back," Kurt breathes out, squeezing Blaine against himself. "I thought I would never see you again."

Blaine huffs out a laugh and pets Kurt's back, the touch familiarly cool even through Kurt's shirt. "Of course I came back," Blaine says softly.

Kurt inhales, Blaine's skin smelling like seawater and sunlight and seaweed, a combination Kurt would have never expected to make him feel calm. But maybe that's just because it's _Blaine_ , because it's Blaine's own natural scent. There's something about this merman that makes him feel things he's never felt before with anyone else.

Blaine's finger is drawing slow patterns on Kurt's shoulder again, and Kurt has a feeling he knows what he's looking at. There's only one thing on his back Blaine could be looking at, and it must be partly visible from the way his shirt is hanging from him.

"You have another tattoo," Blaine murmurs. "What does this one mean? These are words in your language, right?"

Kurt laughs, nuzzling Blaine's own shoulder. "It's a long story."

"We have time," Blaine says, and Kurt could swear he feels Blaine's wet lips slide over the side of his neck for a quick moment. "Come on, you need to eat, and then you can tell me what 'it gets better' means to you."

Kurt laughs again, finally pulling away from Blaine and sitting down. "It actually says 'it gets wetter'. That seemed more appropriate for a sailor," he jokes.

Blaine snorts and starts deboning the first fish for him.

 

\---

 

"I still don't understand how you managed to do that," Blaine says, patting his now flat hair in amazement. "I've always hated how my hair stays curly no matter what I do, and now you just..."

Kurt shrugs his shoulders casually, even though Blaine can tell he's secretly pleased by the compliment. "Years of experience," he replies in a mock-haughty voice. "You should see what my own hair looks like when I have actually washed it properly. Being a sailor is no excuse to look like a slob."

Blaine giggles, splashing his tail through the water. He was feeling dry today, his tail itching even more than before, so he told Kurt he would spend some hours swimming in the water next to the boat, just to keep his skin and scales wet. What he didn't tell was that he was also doing it to steer the boat in the right direction. Ever since Kurt mentioned the name of his hometown Blaine has been subtly making sure the boat is heading the right way. He knows these waters, and it wasn't that difficult to find out their exact location once he took a look at some of the landmarks in the bottom of the ocean when he was getting Kurt food for the first time.

Blaine is not stupid -- he knows they can't drift aimlessly for days, no matter how much fun they're having together. He could do it, easily even, but Kurt needs to get back home, back to his family and friends and dry land. He doesn't look as bad as he did when Blaine first found him, the fresh water and food Blaine keeps getting him obviously making him feel better, but he is still tired and weary, his skin parched by the sunlight. Blaine tries to stay as close to Kurt as he can because he knows his cool skin must help at least a little, but what he really needs to do is get Kurt home.

Even if it means he'll be left alone again.

"What's got you so quiet?" Kurt's voice interrupts his thoughts.

"Huh?" Blaine startles, turning to look at him. Kurt's staring at him with his head tilted, his expression worried. "Oh," Blaine says, shrugging his shoulders and sinking a little lower in the water in embarrassment. "Just wondering if you have any more tattoos," he jokes feebly, winking at Kurt.

Kurt sticks his tongue out, leaning against the boat so they're face to face. "Ha ha, very funny. I've told you that I only have the two I've already shown you." He rests his head on his arms. "Now, honestly. Tell me what's wrong. You looked really sad all of a sudden. I haven't seen you look that sad before."

Blaine turns to look up to the sky. "Just..." He gestures with his hand, trying to come up with something to say that doesn't sound pathetic or needy. _Merpeople don't need landpeople, and they don't need us_ , the voice of his peers taunts inside his head. "The... The clouds," he tries finally.

"What about them?" Kurt asks, curious.

Blaine frowns, actually paying attention to the clouds now, to the way they're moving over the sky. It's been sunny for days, but now that Blaine's noticed it, the weather does seem to be a bit colder and windier today. The waves rocking the boat feel bigger, stronger, and suddenly he has to grip the boat's edge so he doesn't get swept away by them.

"Kurt..." he warns, meeting his eyes in panic.

The wind picks up, the wooden boat groaning as it tries to stay upright. Kurt stumbles backwards and hits the floor with a surprised yelp. One of the waves slides over Blaine's head, pushing him under for a moment, and he quickly struggles to get back up, worried that he'll lose Kurt if he takes his eyes off him for one second.

"Blaine!" Kurt calls from the boat. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me!" Blaine calls back, swimming closer. The boat is swaying dangerously quickly now, splashes of water flying over its edges. Blaine grabs it and does his best to keep it still, but the wind is too strong; it feels as if it's getting stronger and stronger with every second. God, sometimes Blaine really hates the unexpected weather of this area.

Blaine can feel it in his tail before it happens, but that still doesn't give him enough time to react. Suddenly a huge wave hits Kurt's boat from behind, forcefully pushing it away from Blaine and turning it over in one fluid movement. Blaine can hear Kurt scream -- a terrifying sound that will probably haunt him for the rest of his life -- and then a splash as something or someone goes under.

"Kurt!" he yells. The boat is getting pulled away by the current already, and it takes only one glance for Blaine to confirm that Kurt's not in it anymore.

Which means...

"Oh no," he whispers and dives underneath the surface.

It's dark, and the waves keep trying to pull him in a different direction, but Blaine fights against them, diving deeper and squinting his eyes in the water. He can't see Kurt anywhere, and he's starting to panic, knowing full well that landpeople can't breathe underwater -- that breathing water is deadly to them. He remembers how his parents first explained the differences between merpeople and landpeople to him when he was little, how it always confused him to think about _drowning_ , the concept completely unfamiliar to him.

But now Kurt is--

He can't let Kurt drown; he just can't, but it's been too long already, and Blaine can feel his heart hammering against his chest in fear. It's the most horrible thing he has ever felt.

He notices a flash of white on his right from the corner of his eye, just like the white of Kurt's shirt, and he quickly swims towards it, hoping with all of his heart that he saw right. It is Kurt, his hair billowing around his head and his eyes closed as he slowly sinks lower and lower. Blaine screams his name through the water but he doesn't react in any way, and Blaine swims even faster, reaching out his hands until he can grab Kurt's arm and stop him from sinking any further.

He tries to shake Kurt, but there's still no reaction, and then he remembers -- _air; I need to get him to the surface, he needs air_. He wraps his arms around Kurt's body and kicks with his tail, pulling every ounce of strength he has and praying to anyone and anything that it's not too late.

They break the water's surface, the waves still rolling around them, almost pushing them down again, but Blaine manages to keep their heads above water, his own breathing loud in his ears. The boat is nowhere to be seen, and Kurt is still limp in his arms.

"Kurt!" he yells, shaking and squeezing him, his fear growing as Kurt's head just lolls back and forth. Why didn't his parents ever teach him how to stop someone from drowning? "Kurt, please, come on-- don't leave me, please don't," he begs, slapping Kurt's cheeks and weakly hitting his chest.

Kurt spasms in his arms, coughing sea water from his lungs. Blaine could cry from relief.

"That's it, there you go," he coaxes, resting Kurt's head against his own shoulder once he seems to be done with the coughing. Kurt is still unconscious, but at least he's breathing, his chest falling and rising weakly under Blaine's arms. "I'll get you home, don't worry," Blaine swears quietly, brushing his lips over Kurt's temple. "You're safe. I promise I won't let go of you."

He pushes them a little higher in the water, glancing around and sniffing the windy air to make sure he's got the right direction. They were quite close to Kurt's hometown before the wave knocked the boat over, so they shouldn't be too far right now either. The waves will slow them down, but Blaine's willing to use all of his strength and determination to get Kurt to dry land as fast as possible. To get him to safety.

"You're safe," he whispers again, more to his own comfort than Kurt's. He makes sure he has a good grip on Kurt and starts swimming.

He swims for hours -- it's hard to keep track of the time when he's more concerned about making sure Kurt's still alive -- before he starts to hear several seagulls screeching above them in the air, a sure sign of land nearby. It's still cloudy, the waves obstructing his view now and then, but Blaine can make out the shore further in front of them, and he kicks some more with his tail, pulling Kurt along.

A convenient current pushes them the rest of the way, and suddenly Blaine feels warm sand against his skin, small waves lapping at his tail. They made it. He quickly lays Kurt on the sand and pushes himself upright to take a look at him. Kurt looks pale even though his skin is still burned, his hair fallen over his forehead, but he's still breathing, still alive; still the most beautiful person Blaine has ever seen.

When Blaine noticed the lone lifeboat several days ago he first thought it was empty, that the shipwreck he had still smelled in the air hadn't left any survivors. But then he saw Kurt, lying there in the boat with his eyes closed and breathing shallow -- and his very first thought was _please don't let this beautiful man die._

He still thinks like that, except now he knows Kurt is more than just beautiful; he's witty and kind and strong and the most interesting man in all of sea and land. He's someone who makes Blaine feel like he's where he's supposed to be.

Blaine can hear voices in the distance, and he knows he has to go before someone sees him. Not all landpeople are as kind and understanding as Kurt is towards merpeople -- that's also something Blaine's parents have taught him.

They never told him there could even be landpeople like Kurt.

Blaine takes one last look at Kurt, smiling sadly. He wants to bend down and kiss him, to give himself one last reminder of Kurt before he goes, but it wouldn't feel right with Kurt just lying there, unconscious and unaware. He settles for brushing Kurt's hair away from his forehead instead, letting his fingers trail over Kurt's face so he can remember it when he's back all alone in the bottom of the ocean.

"It-- It was great to meet you," he whispers, finally pulling his hand away, the voices in the distance getting nearer. Blaine swallows roughly, forcing himself to move closer to the water's edge. "I'm going to miss you, but I... I really hope you find more things worth having with you wherever you go."

Kurt stirs on the sand, as if he can hear Blaine.

"Goodbye, Kurt," Blaine says and slips into the ocean.

There's an old pier close-by, so Blaine hides underneath it, wanting to make sure someone actually finds Kurt. He watches from the shadows as two men come to the beach, immediately noticing Kurt and running to help him when he starts to move. Blaine can't make out what they're saying, but they keep Kurt upright when he tries to walk on his own and then start to half-carry him towards the town behind the beach. Kurt keeps looking around, the tilt of his head confused, and Blaine lets himself sink even deeper into the water beneath the pier.

It's better this way.

Blaine watches for as long as he can see Kurt, and it's only when the three men disappear behind a sand hill that he lets himself sink completely under water. It's dark beneath the pier, but Blaine closes his eyes anyway. He can't feel the tears on his cheeks in the water, but he knows they're still there.

 

\---

 

It's been five days since Blaine said goodbye Kurt on the shore, but he can't seem to stay away. He hasn't gone home since -- not that the underwater area his family lives in has ever really felt like home with its loneliness and conservative attitudes. The treacherous part of his mind keeps whispering that the only time he's ever really felt like home was when he was with Kurt, the ocean waves around them and Kurt's voice in his ears, but Blaine tries to ignore that part of his mind as well as he can.

He mostly stays under the pier with just his head above the water, occasionally swimming closer to the shore if there's no one around. He hasn't seen Kurt since he disappeared behind the sand hill, but he has seen several other landpeople working and fishing nearby, and even a few children playing in the water.

Blaine has tried to tell himself that the only reason he's sticking around is because his current hideout is the perfect place for observing landpeople and their customs, but he still can't help the way he gets his hopes up every time he hears someone walking on the pier above him. Most of the time it's just a lone fisherman and Blaine has to watch out for fishing hooks and lines for the rest of the day -- but he still gets his hopes up, the itch in his tail getting worse every day.

On the fifth morning Blaine is floating on his back under the pier again, trying to figure out how it's been built because he has nothing else to do, when he hears slow footsteps above him. He has learned to recognize the regular fishermen by their steps already, but these steps are new, lighter and more hesitant than the others.

Blaine pushes himself upright and swims deeper into the shadows, ready to dive under water if necessary. It's still early, even too early for the fishermen, but he can never be too careful. The steps above him slow down even more as they get near the pier's edge, stopping completely once they reach the end.

"Blaine?"

Blaine blinks his eyes, instinctively pushing himself higher in the water. He must've heard wrong; there's no way--

"Blaine? Are you there?"

Blaine slowly swims out of the shadows, keeping himself mostly under water. The first thing he notices is a pair of long legs in knee-high boots and light brown pants, and when he looks up he is met with Kurt's familiar face, the face that Blaine could never forget. He looks much better than five days ago, strong and vibrant and well-rested, and Blaine can't help the way his face breaks into a smile.

"Hi," he says sheepishly, lifting his head from the water.

"Blaine!" Kurt calls, his lips turning into a wide, relieved grin. He quickly stumbles to sit down on the pier, leaning down so they can talk without having to shout. "God, I was so worried I wouldn't find you here! I thought I saw a green tail beneath the pier before I was carried into the town, but I didn't know if I was just dreaming." His smile softens. "If I had dreamt it all."

Blaine laughs, ducking his head. "No, mermen are still real."

"I'm glad they are," Kurt says. "I missed you."

Blaine's head snaps up at that. Kurt is still smiling at him, and he looks like he's even blushing, but maybe that's just a reminder of the days he spent drifting at the sea under direct sunlight.

"Oh," Blaine says. His own cheeks feel a little warm as well. "I... I missed you too," he admits quietly.

"I-- I actually have something I want to show you," Kurt continues, reaching up to unbutton the uppermost buttons of his shirt. "I got a new tattoo just last night when I finally felt well enough to leave my bed, and I..." He hesitates, and now his cheeks are definitely blushing. "I remembered how much you liked my older tattoos, so I wanted you to be the first one to see this."

Blaine swims closer when Kurt finishes unbuttoning his shirt. There's a colorful image on his chest, right over his heart, and when Blaine strains his neck he can see that it's a picture of a merman with his long tail curled around a small heart symbol. The merman's tail is dark green, curly black hair framing his head, and even from where Blaine's standing he can see a glint of the color of honey in the merman's eyes.

His breath catches in his throat. "T-that's...," he stutters, staring at the tattoo.

"Do you like it?" Kurt asks, bending his head to look at the tattoo himself. "I know it's not a perfect likeness, but I did describe you as well as I could to the tattoo artist."

"So it... It is me?" Blaine has to ask, reaching out his hand towards the tattoo, suddenly wanting to touch it and follow its lines with his fingers.

"Of course it is," Kurt says, letting out a soft laugh. "How many dark-haired mermen with green tails do you think I know?" He lifts his head to look at Blaine, his smile turning worried. "You do like it, though? It's not too much?"

"N-no, no, I-- I love it," Blaine breathes out. "I'm just... Why?"

Kurt frowns. "Why what?"

"Why me," Blaine clarifies, pulling his hand back. "Why do you want to have a picture of me on your skin?"

"Blaine," Kurt says with an amused smile, and god, the way he says Blaine's name makes it sound better than ever before. "Remember when I said that tattoos are about something that's so important to you that you want to have it with you wherever you go?"

Blaine nods. He can feel his own heart beating faster inside his chest, thumping against his rib cage like the wings of a seagull.

"I want to have you with me wherever I go," Kurt says, looking into Blaine's eyes, "for as long as I live. Because I don't want to say goodbye to you, and because... Because I'm in love with you."

Blaine sucks in a surprised breath. He gives a quick kick with his tail, the force of it sending him flying up from the water until he can grab the pier's edge and pull himself on it. His tail lands in Kurt's lap, immediately soaking his pants, but Kurt doesn't seem to mind -- instead he pulls Blaine even closer and wraps his arms around him, just like he did on the boat so many days ago.

"Blaine..." Kurt starts.

"I'm in love with you too," Blaine breathes out and closes the final distance between them. He twines his arms around Kurt's neck and presses their lips together, smiling into the kiss because he's feeling so much, relieved and elated and loved, and he never wants to stop touching Kurt. He wants to have Kurt with him wherever he goes as well.

Kurt's arms tighten around his waist, warm and comfortable, and Blaine can taste the salt water dripping from his hair in their kiss. His tail curls around Kurt's waist as Kurt deepens the kiss, his whole body aching to be as close to Kurt as he can. After all that time spent alone in the bottom of the ocean he finally feels like he's come home.

Kurt breaks the kiss with a breathless laugh and rests his forehead against Blaine's. "God, I could get addicted to that."

Blaine smiles, licking his lips to savor the taste of his first kiss. The tattoo on Kurt's chest is right in front of him, bright in the early morning sunlight, and he moves to rest his palm over it, tenderly stroking the tattoo merman's tail with his thumb. Kurt shivers against him and covers his hand with his own.

"I really wish I could live in the ocean with you," Kurt murmurs, looking at their hands on his chest, the bluish tinge of Blaine's skin against his own like a reminder of their differences. "Us being from different places complicates things so much."

"Don't talk like that," Blaine says, turning his hand so he can slot their fingers together. "There's nothing for me in the bottom of the ocean if you're not there." He tilts his head. "And there's nothing for us in the bottom of the ocean either."

"But Blaine, you can't live on dry land," Kurt argues, lifting his head, his eyes looking worried all of a sudden. "You have a tail and you need to stay wet and--"

"Shh," Blaine shushes him. He leans in and kisses Kurt's lips, grinning when Kurt just stares at him in confusion. "Don't you remember how I said that our bodies are extremely adaptable?"

Kurt blinks, looks down at Blaine's tail and then up again. "You mean you could--"

"It only happens when our soulmate is one of the landpeople, and once some time has passed we can change back whenever we go into salt water." Blaine shrugs his shoulders. "It's kind of like those lizards you have on dry land, the ones that change color according to their surroundings?" He knows it must sound unbelievable to Kurt, but merpeople wouldn't have survived this long without developing powerful adaptability. "Merpeople mate for life, and that's why those who are too interested in landpeople are considered the black sheep of our community. I mean, some of my peers used to call me 'Legs' when they wanted to bully me."

"Blaine," Kurt says, his eyes wide, "I can't ask you to give up your--"

"You're not asking," Blaine interrupts, squeezing Kurt's hand, "and I'm not giving up on anything. It's more like I'm... gaining something," he counters. "Trust me, it's happened before with other merpeople. It's our bodies' way of adapting to the needs of our hearts."

Kurt searches his face for a moment. "So you can--"

"I can live here," Blaine finishes for him. "With you. As an... almost human."

Kurt doesn't seem to find any traces of unease or worry in his face because after a moment the corners of his lips twitch into a small, wry smile. "So we're soulmates, huh?" he asks, scrunching his nose.

Blaine bites his lip, brushing his thumb over the merman tattoo again. He's only known Kurt for a little over a week, but all of this, the nearness, the feel of Kurt's body against his own, the way his heart skips a beat whenever Kurt smiles... It feels right. The connection between them feels more right than anything else. He can feel his tail itching in the sunlight again, as if there are sparks running underneath his scales, and he realizes now that it means that the change is already starting, heightened by Kurt's presence.

He can take his first steps someday soon.

"I think we are," he says, looking into Kurt's eyes. "I mean, there must've been a reason why I found you in the middle of the ocean."

Kurt smiles, stroking Blaine's tail. "I am going to miss your tail, though," he jokes, his eyes shining with happy tears. "Even if you can change back later on."

"Don't worry," Blaine says with a grin, wiping a drop of salty water from Kurt's cheek. "It will always be with you in that new tattoo of yours."

"I guess that works," Kurt comments as he leans closer until his lips are almost touching Blaine's, "as long as I get to have you with me for real."

"Deal," Blaine promises and pulls him in for another wet kiss.


End file.
